Mouse Clown

Morning everyone, we have a sunny day here today...... Yay!!! Well it was as I started typing this post.  An hour later as I finish, it is now cloudy. :-(

I am having so much fun creating clown cards at the moment.  Actually, I am surprised and how very few images are available and the fact that clowns are not used that often.  I only have the one image in my collection and that is the Clowning Around Molly I used the other day.

I am not too keen to go out and buy anything for my little challenge so thought I would look at what I have and adapt.

So I grabbed this little mouse stamp I have.  He normally is juggling some words but I decided to add some brads as balls for him to juggle.  I coloured him with my watercolour pencils and hope to give him a little clown costume with a red nose.

I have cut three sections of the background paper and purposely put them on a little wonky.  Finally got to have a go at adding a banner....I have seen these around forever and always love the effect.  So cut out  ten triangles....five blue and five white slightly smaller.  Then added rub-on letters.  I added to blue brads to the card and tied kitchen twin between each of them.  Then adhered the little flags next to the twine.

Another clown card for the When I Grow Up Challenge at Stamping Vacation.

Ends 3rd May.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Papertake Weekly Challenge - Anything Goes ends 12th April

When I Grow Up Challenge - Clowns ends 3rd May

Craft your Passion - Anything Goes ends 11th April

Make it Monday - Anything Goes ends 11th April

Pollycraft Monday Challenge - Old/Neglected Stamp ends 11th April

Supplies:

Cardstock: Blue Bazzil Bling

Paper: ***** NEW*** Easter Pastel Patchwork - Blue Edge Papers

Image: Stampin Up - Nice and Easy Notes

Embellishments: Kitchen twine, rub-on letters, misc split pins/brads

Colouring: watercolour pencils.

Another Hedgehog and Playing with Blogger

Morning everyone, as you can see I have been playing with my Template and fonts.  Sorry it is a bit bright and mismatched at the moment but I have run out of time.  So my blog background will be a work in progress. :-)  My changes are all because I helped my friend Joy start up her blog on the background.  I have discovered I can do a few more things with the background that what I had realised.  Wait until I show Joy. lol  Joy is my photographer friend and is starting up a blog to show off her trip to Italy a little while ago and plans to show her next trip to Italy which starts this April.  Will give you all the link when she is up and running.

I promised more hedgehogs.   This time his is carrying a bunch of split pin balloons with some 'Happy Birthday' wishes.  I have doodled around the edge with my fine tip black pen.  Coloured the hedgehog with my copics.  Hoping to order just a couple more today with a gift voucher that my wonderful friends gave to me.  So should have a couple more colours to use. :-)

The embossing folder from my friend Stacie is called Candy Stripe.

Well  must dash.  Hoping you are having a wonderful day.   Wet again here...surprise, surprise.

Birthday, Presents, Cake, Cards and Wins

Morning everyone, finally made it.  Had a couple of jobs to do first then neighbour rang as apparently there was a wallaby in the yard this morning and the son had locked the dogs (2 great danes) in the house.  So I have been over letting them out, making sure the wallaby has gone and then letting the horse out of the back paddock and into the front.   Then come home to my dog who sniffs me like a vacuum for all the smells.  All sorted now and bonus the sun is shining.

Well it was my birthday yesterday and a wonderful day it was.   This is the cake I made ..... a spice cake.  Thought I would take a leaf out of our daughters icing book and fancy the cake up with a few colours.  Our daughter had organised a surprise party with four of her mates for one other friend on the weekend for her birthday.  DD also cooked a cake for her friend.  So after a busy, fun and sleepover weekend she just did not have the energy to cook a cake for me.  :-)

I shared the cake with my family and Mum, Dad, SIL, nieces and nephew.  Hubby even surprised me and came home early from work. :-)  Earlier in the day I had coffee with a wonderful friend and we chatted about craft.....well chatted about something she has finally got me hooked on.  See below.

Tea time was Pizza...yum....followed by sharing of the Tobelerone chocolate box that I received and then to finished off with a very small glass of Lemoncillo.  Such a terrific day.

This is my present from my son.  I supplied the wood and he designed and constructed.

These folders contain my papers all sorted into colours.   They have been surviving as I did have three bookends but all of this got pack away for Cyclone Yasi and do you think I can find those bookends.  No!

So now with this wonderful bookcase my folders stay up straight and I now have another shelf to add/spread my crafting too.

The bookend in the photo is one I stole from the family room and trying to survive with.

This is the beautiful card that my Mum made for me.   It is all 3D paper tole....including the little topper on the very front.

Don't you just love the textures in this card.   This is from my lovely friend Rachel who I used to ride to school with in our primary years.  

This card is from Helen who is the lady that gave me coffee and muffin on my birthday morning.

This is also the lady the is feeding my desire to get into Copics.   See below.

Another talented friend.  This lady Joy takes the most amazing photos and she has used one that she has taken for her card.  

This wonderful card was created by friend Helene.

Now.... Copics.  I have been watching how everyone colour with these and seeing how vibrant the colours were.  The price however has always kept me at bay.  As I already have my watercolour pencils that work just fine.  I have had a marker E51 in my possession for a while which I have used for colouring skin.  Stacie added to my collection with a lovely pink Ciao last year. 

My friend Helen who has really enjoyed colouring with Copics for a while now said she had ordered a pile of copics on Ebay and would I like to buy the double ups.

Helen is a great bargain shopper and these pens were a good price that I couldn't pass up.

So now I have 16 pens in my collection.   The above photo shows them all as well as the my first fully coloured Tilda using Copics.  They are so nice to use.  Of course now I need more shades and a couple more colours, like green, yellow, red and orange.

Luckily, it was my birthday as my wonderful friends have given me a voucher to Bizzy Becs so I can buy a few more colours and some X Press It card.

:-)

Got to keep going.  Need to see where we are up to with the Relay for Life team that now looks to have grown to three teams of very committed people.  I also have to get my act together and start on some Oral Histories from the locals of Gordonvale to be shown/played at the Museum.

Who needs a day time job. :-)

Have a terrific Tuesday.

Oh, almost forgot.  I have been so very lucky too.  I won Michele's Clean Out Candy.  Some fun looking rubber stamps.   I also won some lovely digis from Limited Run (I got some cupcake images)  for the Things with Wings challenge at Papercrafting Journey.

Back to Nature

Can you believe we are up to our third challenge over at Cardmadfairy Digi Days.

Time sure does go fast and we have had such wonderful creations entered.

It is sure wonderful to see all the Digi images and how you use them all.

Congratulations to the winner of our last challenge.

This fortnights challenge is called 'Back to Nature'.  

Here is my Design Team card also the birthday card I gave to my Mum last Friday.

I started with Fawn Bazzill card, then I used a sheet of Kaiser Craft Empire paper.  I have made a gate fold card.  Stitched around all the edges of the background paper.  Added a strip of lace and some lovely square silver bling.  Three little flower buttons which I have threaded with white wax cotton.  Sentiment is a rub-on.  The topper is the wonderful Bugaboo wateringcan digi image called 'Flowers'.  I coloured it with my water colour pencils and added a touch of Kindy Glitz to the flower.

Now it is your turn.

Can't wait to see your terrific creations.

You have until Friday, 1st April....no joke :-)  to enter.

Remember you must use a Digital Stamp (Digi image) and if you use a Cardmadfairy Digi image and your creations will be entered into the draw twice.

The prize for this challenge is from the wonderful people at Bugaboo.

Happy Birthday 17yo Son

Morning everyone, well today we are celebrating 17 years of our son. :-)  Time goes by so fast when you are having fun.  

I spied the spinner card while googling the other day and thought that was the style of card I would make for him.  I saw this fun card posted by Pixley over at Splitcoast Stampers and decided to have a play.

Dug out my Bazzill card (French Vanilla and Pine Cone).

To make the slot I used my smallest circle spellbinder and cut a circle on each side of the card where I wanted the slot to end.  Then cut out the tab in between the two circles.  Now that I have made the card I would prefer a smaller slot...will have to work on that.  I have used two 20c pieces to create the spinner with the candle flame on it.  The flame I hand drew and coloured with my water colour pencils.

The candles I cut strips from my new Blue Edge Crafts design papers.

I printed the greeting out off the computer and adhered that to the card before adding the spinner section with 3D Foam.

I would like to enter into the following challenges.

Bearly Mine - #5 Birthday ends 14th March

Going Grey with Scrap Creations - Kids ends 7th March

Woodware USA Clear Stamps - #16 Anything Goes ends 31st March

Apricots it is......and a card for Rio.

Thanks everyone for joining in the fun yesterday.  Thanks to the people that guessed eggs as that is what my daughter was wanting to hear.  :-)  Yes, she was trying to trick you.

Cathy is our winner guessing apricots in a syrup....first up.   I will be sending some stamps off to you today or tomorrow.

They were in fact apricots in a caramel syrup ready to be used in an Apricot Upside Down Cake. Recipe here by Bill Granger.  Very yum.  Although, I think the syrup on mine ended up being a little burnt.  Good reason to cook it again I think...to get it just right.  This recipe asks you to do the syrup and apricots in a frypan on the stove top and then to mix the cake mix in a bowl and put spoonfuls of the cake mixture on top of the apricots in the frypan.  Then the frypan goes into the oven.  Something I have never done before although quite often see people on cooking shows put their frypan into the oven.  I was afraid of the handle melting but read somewhere to wrap it in heavy duty alfoil.  If that is not available two layers of regular alfoil.  Well, I did four layers to be on the safe side and all worked well.

This card I have created for Rio.  Yesterday, I spied this image over at Cheryl's blog 'My Cardmaking Haven'.  Cheryl had a link to Betty's blog called 'Betty Simply Stamps' on there you will find a lovely story of Betty's daughter and what she plans to do for her birthday.  Rio, has decided to donate her birthday gift which she asked for money to be donated to St Jude's Hospital.  How special is that.

Her mum (Betty) had a special image made for Rio's birthday.  Now has put this up for sale and any money made from these sales will also go towards Rio's donation to St Jude's Hospital.  Betty has also asked if we could send on a card to Rio to surprise on her birthday.

So here is my surprise card.  

I started with the 'Build A Sketch Challenge over at Stamping Vacation.  Denise, has given us a list of six different shapes to use - Nos. 1,2,3,9,14,15.  I took the liberty of changing #1 from a rectangle to a square for the base card.

I have used a Lilac Metallic card for the base card.  Layer of Orange Bazzill Bling, then Purple Bazzil.  I cut out an oval from the Lilac Metallic card then stamp the only spider web I could find which was part of a bigger stamp.  Then added the square white card with the rub-on 'Happy Today'.  I coloured the image with my watercolour pencils.  Finished with faux stitching on all layers, bling and flowers.

I would also like to enter this into these challenges.

Paper Cutz Challenge #75 - Anything Goes ends 27th January

Penny's Challenge #45 - Anything Goes ends 2nd February

Digi Doodle #43 - Anything Goes ends 27th January

Happy Un-Birthday

I thought my husband needed an extra special day this year.  His birthday is the 1st January which all of his life has meant a quiet day although there seems to be a big party happening the night before everywhere. ;-)

However, this year it was quieter still as we were way up in the air somewhere between Dubai and Australia.  So a week after we returned when I finally found the time and energy I decided to give my hubby a Happy Un-Birthday.  I made this card, kids made cards, blew up some balloons to welcome him with.  Raced into town and bought a new computer chair as the old one was molding and cracking.  We made a Un-birthday cake and had chinese for tea.  Although, he had splurged and had chinese for lunch that day....lucky it is his favourite.  I think he had a lovely surprise.  We had fun creating it.

My card I started with a blank BE card and layered it with some wonderful Minds Eye (Meadow Lark) paper I received from my Secret Santa.  Aren't they lovely...the tag and the photos are from those sheets too.  The green is from my stash.  The photo I chose only because my husband loves to ride.....no, he is not as old as the photo suggests. :-)  I have inked around the edges with my Staz-on Timber Brown and distressed the bottom tag with my scissors.  I added gold dashes to the 'YOU' and two little brown triangles to the photo.

I would like to enter this into the following challenges:

Gingerloft #9 - Celebrations ends 22nd Jan

The Stamp Man #14 - Distress - ends 27th Jan

Prairie Fairy Fridays #44 - Happy Birthday - 22nd Jan

Aud Sentiments Challenge #19 - Two Words - ends 21st Jan

Stamping Vacation - Lots Of Paper with Words - ends 30th Jan

****Remember the prize drawn at the end of January for Stamping Vacation is a $25.00 Gift Certificate for Stamps of Life.

Happy 15th Birthday

I made it back to the craftroom for a tiny moment.

This is the card I created for our daughter's 15th birthday last week.

Can't believe our baby is 15....and to put it into perspective for me.  At the end of this year for me at the same age I was finishing school.  Luckily....she is looking at doing another two years.

DD had a request for colours....NO pink!, but please use purple, green, orange, yellow red.  So I went for the first three.

I bought this wonderful Kenny G Queen Cutie image.....I have been loving his images for a while now and this was the perfect excuse to buy one.  I have coloured her with my watercolour pencils.  The skin I have been using a ciao pen but that ran out end of last year.  So had to go back to mixing two of my watercolour pencils together, so she is a little pale.

I have used a white BE square card and layered it up with some wonderful purple bazzill card and the lovely orange and green stripe paper I have had for a little while.  Added '15' stickers and then framed the 'make a wish' rub-on with the lovely bling frame I was lucky enough to win.

I will entering this card in the following challenges.

Totally Papercrafts Challenge #49 - Happy Birthday ends 21st Jan
Creative Inspiration #51 - Celebrate ends 22nd Jan
Tip Top Tuesday #17 - Anything Goes ends 18th Jan
Stamp Something - Anything Goes ends 21st Jan

Stamping Vacation - Sticky Situation - Use Any Border Sticker ends 21st Jan
Stamping Vacation - Clean and Simple - Use Three of Something ends 26th Jan

Just a reminder of the prize up for grabs at Stamping Vacation this month is which is drawn 1st Feb:

$25.00 gift certificate to spend at Stamps of Life

So be sure to visit Stamping Vacation as Denise has a different challenge for every day of the month.
There must be one there that suits your style.

Remember to that there is a $20.00 gift certificate on offer for when we reach 300 followers.  The winner will be chosen by random from the followers.

Happy Birthday Candles

I blinked yesterday and Wednesday was gone. :-) I put the car in for a service, son spent some of the day home and then it was out to the cycling track to watch hubby ride round and round in circles. He did really well as there was only himself and another guy from the lower grades racing against the 'A' graders. He definitely held his own. I think these guys are pretty gutsy as the track bikes have no gears and no brakes. :-0 They really pick up speed and at the end have to do another lap just to slow down enough to get off the bike.

Well I do have a card for you today. This is my second card for my swap partner over at Craftmad. This months theme was dry embossing. Someone (sorry can't remember who) has given me this wonderful embossing of the candles. So I added it to a gloss base card which I layered with SU Sage Shadow and Perfect Plum. I embossed this cute tag from Stacie with dots from the Cuttlebug 'With Love' border set. Thanks Denise for reminding me that I owned them.

Time to wave to all the wonderful people visiting via the Clic n Cut Blog Hop. Thanks so much for taking the time to visit. I am really enjoying seeing all these new blogs on the list. I think it is up around 170 now.